Crazy Desires of a Murderer

(1977) Crazy Desires of a Murderer/ I vizi morbosi di una governante (In Italian with English subtitles) HORROR THRILLER

It has one of those odd introductions with someone viewers are unable make out other than his already bloody hands coming straight toward someone. A phone rings with the baron, De Chablais (Stuart Brisbane Colin) displeasure speaking with his teenage daughter, Ileana De Chablais (Isabelle Marchal) informing her dad ahead of time she has invited a few friends of hers. Meanwhile, Pierluigi La Rocca (Claudio Peticchio) is trying to make a drug deal with two goons on his case, and they are giving him a week to pay up. And it is during then we get to see Illeana's friends she has invited to stay with them who are Frank Hoffman (Giuseppe Colombo) who is a doctor to which the baron knows his dad; Elsa Leiter (Patrizia Gori), Gretel Schanz (Adler Gray); the drug dealer, Pierluigi La Rocca (Claudio Peticchio) with his friend, Bobby Jelson (Gaetano Russo). Living with the baron in the castle are housemaid, Berta (Anie Edel) and servant, Hans (Hugh Denis) . And it was not until the movie is progressing we find out there is a third person, a young man who became a mute, Leonardo (Roberto Zattin) who appear to be already been scarred as a result of the death of his mother. Leonardo loves down below them near the wine cellar that was supposed to staying in a room all to himself. He appears to be the character viewers saw at the opening with the bloody hand as it turns out he is a taxidermist, the reason why his hands are bloody at all times. When one of the guest's are killed after making out with one of the other friends, the detectives are then called and they cross examine each resident staying with them, including Leonardo. At this point all fingers point to him because when the victim was killed, her eyeballs were plucked out, and those same eyeballs eventually showed up in his dungeon room to which they could be planted there to make it appear like he did it.

Anyways, at first I was unable to get involve with watching it because the movie did some abnormal things, such as at the opening when the daughter, Illeana was speaking with his daughter on the phone. It appears that someone with bloody hands was going to attack the baron, because the way it ended their abrupt conversation was ambiguous. Illeana just kept calling out for her dad with no answer. She neither calls for authorities or anything. And then, it is like as soon as they do finally meet each other, it is as if nothing had ever happened. We find out much later that it was the brother. Viewers are also oblivious the connection between the killer and it's victims, for the drug scenario between Pierluigi and what happened has no relation with one another. Anyways, the eyeball sequence is more gross than it is scary. The poster is misleading as there are only two nude scenes throughout the entire movie of one of the guests and the maid, anyone who presume to see a ton of nudity would be disappointed.

A bunch of people converge in a large old castle and before long they start getting murdered and have their eyeballs removed! There's a paralyzed, clairvoyant patriarch, a returning countess, her deranged younger brother who is obsessed with taxidermy. There's drug smuggling via antique vases and one member of the party who is being pressurised by gangsters. Who could be guilty of the murders and why! A dogged detective arrives and starts sleuthing.

This is one of the gialli which combined a gothic element into its contemporary story. To that end we have the interiors of the old castle as the backdrop to much of the usual sex and violence recipe. Like most in this sub-genre, it has some nice cinematography and music by Piero Piccioni (with some Ennio Morricone music taken from A Lizard in a Woman's Skin, oddly enough). Unfortunately, the story isn't as interesting as it should be, given the ingredients and it often feels a bit half-hearted. There's just enough giallo craziness to take it over the line though.

A group of hip friends gather at a Gothic castle owned by a wheelchair- bound older relative of one of the girls (Isabella Marchall). One couple in the group, unbeknownst to the others, is smuggling heroin in some Chinese artifacts the protagonist has brought back from the Orient to give to her elderly relative. Meanwhile the deranged uncle of the protagonist, who supposedly killed the protagonist's mother (his own sister)and cut out her eyes, is wandering the catacombs spying on everyone. When one of the guests (Patrizia Gorzi) is murdered and her eyes subsequently disappear, suspicion naturally falls on the mad uncle. But is he being set up?

The plot here is actually pretty lame. There's also a real lack of recognizable acting talent compared to other gialli. (Patrizia Gorzi had been in "Emanuelle's Revenge" and "Possessor", but she only has a small part and the rest of the cast are virtual unknowns). The eyeball murders are gory but pretty low-tech and nothing to write home about frankly. This movie has style to burn though, and that's where it really succeeds. The old castle makes for an interesting setting. The visual are top-notch (with very good cinematography and editing) and the music is very memorable. In some ways it's kind of an old-fashioned Gothic horror movie (like "Tomb of Torture" or "The Virgin of Nuremberg"), but definitely with a late 70's sensibility as far as sex and gore go.

Gialli were really never known for their great plotting, but for their visual style and music. And if you compare this movie to "Sister of Ursula" the next year and "Play Motel" the year after that, it's clear that the genre faded not so much because the stories got dumber (or because they basically turned into softcore porn flicks), but because their unique style slowly drained away over the years. As far as a late 70's gialli goes this is actually pretty good. I'd recommend to giallo fans at least if no one else.

"The Morbid Habits of the Governess" is one of the most obscure gialli I have seen.A group of men and their women is invited to a villa and then stalked and murdered by a mysterious killer who collects their eyeballs.Slow-moving and melancholic giallo with several macabre set-pieces and plenty of delicious sleaze.Corrado Gaipa's police inspector is especially memorable as are two sexy ladies Isabelle Marchall and Patrizia Gori.The film was released in 1995 on VHS by Redemption and after selling very poorly faded into complete obscurity.The moody score helps to create some suspenseful moments and the acting is solid.If you are a fan of Eurotrash you can't miss "Crazy Desires of a Murderer".7 out of 10.

The film opens with a cinematic indulgence in early 1970s European glamour, a cascade of metallic fabrics, flowing blonde hair, and glittering chandeliers that reflect both wealth and superficiality. The initial sequences offer a polished visual feast: champagne bubbles rising in crystal glasses, mirrored corridors doubling the opulence, and disco lights casting fractured colors across dancing bodies. Yet, beneath this glittering veneer, the narrative soon reveals a murky moral landscape.

Performances are uneven, with Isabelle Marchall's Ileana carrying moments of fragile charm, but the supporting ensemble lacks depth, often reduced to archetypes of sleazy playboys or self-indulgent socialites. Patrizia Gori and Adler Gray contribute fleeting sparks of charisma, yet their characters' interactions feel perfunctory, undermining emotional investment. Giuseppe Colombo and Roberto Zattin embody melodramatic villainy, but the writing provides them little room for nuance.

Pacing is inconsistent, with the story drifting through tepid social scenes before sporadically punctuating tension with shocking violence. Dialogue occasionally flirts with wit, yet most exchanges fall flat, failing to sustain intrigue. The plot's momentum collapses in a midsection weighed down by indulgent leisure sequences, only to regain momentary energy when a gruesome murder jolts the narrative back into motion.

Cinematography captures the castle's labyrinthine interiors with occasional flair, contrasting ornate rooms against shadowy passageways, yet most suspenseful moments lack the tension or framing needed to terrify. Musical cues swing between lively disco rhythms and sudden ominous chords, but their deployment feels haphazard, underscoring tonal inconsistencies rather than heightening dread. Two sequences linger: the sudden, shocking murder that blends sex and violence, and the chaotic tomb raid that fuses greed, desperation, and panic, reminiscent of later giallo set pieces like Mario Bava's Blood and Black Lace.

Despite its flaws, the film offers a time capsule of fashion and aesthetic sensibilities, particularly in the early 1970s European social milieu, and provides glimpses of the era's fascination with East-meets-West exotica. For viewers interested in vintage costume design, stylized set pieces, or the evolution of giallo tropes, the movie offers sporadic rewards. Conversely, audiences seeking coherent suspense, richly drawn characters, or sustained terror may find the experience tedious, as the plot's excessive meandering and uneven violence dilute its intended impact.

In sum, Crazy Desires of a Murderer sparkles with superficial glamour and occasional shock, yet falters under convoluted plotting and flat characterizations. Its pleasures lie in visual flair and audacious, if poorly executed, moments of horror rather than narrative mastery or emotional resonance. Those with patience for stylistic indulgence may enjoy glimpses of twisted fun, while viewers prioritizing suspenseful storytelling will likely be frustrated.